The Benjamin Calypso

The Benjamin Calypso - A musical segment from the film Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat featuring Donny Osmond, Richard Attenborough and Joan Collins. This clip features Joseph, the narrator, Maria Freidman, and the brothers

Brothers:
Oh no! Not he!
How you can accuse him is a mystery
Save him! Take me!
Benjamin is straighter than the tall palm tree

Judah:
I hear the steel drums sing their song
They're singing, "Man, you know you've got it wrong"
I hear the voice of the yellow bird
Singing in the tree, "This is quite absurd!"

Oh yes! [Oh yes!] It's true! [It's true!]
Benjamin is straighter than the big bamboo
No if's [No if's] No but's [No but's]
Benjamin is honest as coconuts

Sure as the tide wash the golden sand
Benjamin is an innocent man
Sure as bananas need the sun
We are the criminal, guilty ones

Oh no! [Oh no!] Not he! [Not he!]
How you can accuse him is a mystery
Save him! [Save him!] Take me! [Take me!]
Benjamin is straighter than the tall palm tree

La la la la la la la

Oh no! Not he!
How can you accuse him is a mystery
Save him! Take me!
Benjamin is straighter than the tall palm tree

Judah:
Sure as the tide wash the golden sand
Benjamin is an innocent man
Sure as bananas need the sun
We are the criminal, guilty ones.

Oh no! [Oh no!] Not he! [Not he!]
How you can accuse him is a mystery
Save him! [Save him!] Take me! [Take me!]
Benjamin is straighter than the tall palm tree.

La la la la la la la

Oh no! Not he!
How you can accuse him is a mystery
Save him! Take me!
Benjamin is straighter than the tall palm tree

Each of the brothers fell to his knees
Show him some mercy, oh mighty one, please
He would not do this, he must have been framed
Jail us and beat us, we should be blamed.
.............................................................................................


A Note From The Gull

With this I begin collecting calypso inspired foreign compositions. This song sounds very much like "Island in the Sun" which was popularised by Harry Belafonte.

"Patria est communis omnium parens" - Our native land is the common parent of us all. Keep it beautiful, make it even more so.

Blessed is all of creation
Blessed be my beautiful people
Blessed be the day of our awakening
Blessed is my country
Blessed are her patient hills.

Mweh ka allay!
Guanaguanare